Our class have been reminiscing about their year in fifth class. Here are selection of the highlights for people in the class. Jack- Malahide Castle5th Class was really exciting! We went to Malahide Castle and the sailing school on our school tour, tennis and lots more! In tennis Ciarán was our coach! In the castle there was a (scary) secret tunnel and there is a picture of an angle and it disappears when their castle is invaded! In the water Dona was in charge of us and we had to put on freezing swim suits and I really liked 5th class.Alex -Steam Train During the 5th class year we have done loads of activities including our school tour to Fingal Sailing School and Malahide Castle, Tennis, Sports Day but my favourite part of this year was our train trip.Mr.Shier’s class and part of Ms.Quinn’s class went on an old, rickety steam engine. Before we went on the train we learned about the Industrial Revolution which included learning about the steam engine.I chose the steam engine as my favourite part of the year because I happen to be an old timey, vintage person and this was definitely above and beyond. I also got to mix with the people in my class I never really chat to. There were also lots of famous authors and poets including Eoin Colfer!!! There was a famous storyteller there who told us a famous legend from China. He also told us an Irish myth from Fionn Mac Cumhaill. He read with great expression and no-one could take their eyes off of him.Also, one of the train conductors taught us a lot about steam engines and trains. We spent the whole day there. It was definitely my FAVOURITE activity this year. AN AMAZING YEAR!!Clare - TennisCiarán taught us how to play tennis. We went on a school tour to the sailing school. I like to do art with Mr Shier. I enjoy doing P.E especially bulldog. We went to Malahide Castle. I loved when we went on the steam train.Daniel - School Tour5th Class has come with really exciting events like tennis, our school tour and lots more! We had a coach called Ciaràn and he was a really nice tennis coach. At the end of tennis we had a tournament with another class doing it with us. I didn’t win it but it was really fun. Then our school tour was a whole lot of fun. We went to Fingal Sailing School, then Malahide Castle. In Fingal Sailing School we did kayaking and sailing. I really enjoyed the kayaking but the sailing was the best. One of us was steering the boat while the other had to work the sail and the other 2 would sit down on the boat. Kayaking was really good but it was hard to paddle because others had to do it altogether and the paddles kept bumping into other boats. Malahide Castle was really spooky as paintings stared at us as well as some ghost stories. The Castle is 1000 years old! There was a family called “The Talbots”. It was so much fun learning about Malahide Castle. I cannot wait for 6th Class!

Katie- School TourOn the 11th of June we set off to Fingal Sailing School! The second-hand wetsuits were still a bit wet, but we didn’t mind. The instructors kept us sea-goers busy with kayaks and sailing boats!A few cannon-balls and belly-flops later, we moved on to the “Toots Train” for a ride to Malahide Castle! There, we took the spooky castle tour and learnt about the ghosts that are said to haunt the site. It was definitely one of the wettest, scariest school tours yet!

We have recently learned about the Industrial Revolution. We focused on what life was like for children. One such story was about a boy called Jimmy who worked in the coal mines from a young age. The lives of children was very difficult at this time. Below are some of the excellent diary accounts written by children in this class.

Katie's account

Jimmy the TrapperDear Diary, the day has finally come. I’m not just Jimmy anymore. I’m a trapper down here. I walked slowly to the coal mines entrance, and as I stared into the dark abyss all I could think about was my dad. Ben, my big brother and Will, a good friend of my dad tried to reassure me as we were lowered into the dark void, but it was no use. So much time is spent down in that mine, it’s easy to lose yourself in your thoughts. Easy to see things, hear things…the voices of the ghosts that haunt this mine. And my dad is one of them. I hate this place, but it pays for food and keeps us going. The doors I must close are strong and heavy. I miss my parents deeply every second down in that filthy pit, but the money puts a faint smile on my poor mother's face, and that is worth every second down in that pit of hell.Jamie's Account

This morning it was a damp day. The mines were colder than ever. I was doing my usual thing opening and closing the doors to keep my family healthy and put food on the table. But when will and Ben came up. I heard a huge sound. And water came in. First puddles then it was up to my boots. I tried to open the door.But the pressure of the water was pushing it away from us. Ben knew another route so we followed him. Will said I can’t go any further and lost his footing and fell into the mine and died. A tear even shed from my eye as if Will was family. Ben and I soon got out of the mines and Ben saw Will’s wife and broke the news to her. I could feel her pain as if I lost Ben. I could see the tears tumbling down her face that was the worst accident I ever witnessed in the mines.

Throughout October we learned all about recycling. We looked particularly at the steps involved in recycling aluminium and glass. It takes huge amounts of energy and resources to make glass and aluminium and only a fraction of the resources and energy to recycle these materials. It also saves us from sending rubbish to landfill. We also learned that reusing materials is also a great way to help the environment. After a class discussion we realised that a large amount of materials are used to make Halloween costumes, costumes which are rarely reused. As a response to this we decided to make our own Halloween costumes from household materials.

We were on our school tour today. We went to "Let's Go Activity Camp", in Gormanstown, Co. Meath. It was great fun!! We completed loads of activities all day! We played on a Zorbee ball, went on a superslide, played lacrosse and other sports and we even rode a wrecking ball!! It was one of the best tours we were on!! Everyone was very tired after the action-packed day!